Play Meteor Defense Online

Game Overview

Meteor Defense is one of those Atari 2600 games that looks simple at first—just a laser cannon at the bottom of the screen and some blocky meteors falling from the top. But after about 30 seconds, you realize how sneaky it gets. The first few waves are easy pickings, but then they start coming faster, splitting into smaller chunks when you hit them, and suddenly you're frantically jamming the joystick left and right.

What I like is how it messes with your reflexes. You think you've got the timing down, then a meteor slips past because you fired too early. The controls are tight, though—no lag, just pure twitchy shooting. It's not as flashy as some of the big-name Atari games, but there's something satisfying about clearing the sky right before a meteor touches down.

Fun fact: This was a PAL-only release, so if you're in North America, you probably missed it back in the day. Now it's a neat little oddity for retro collectors. The whole thing has that early '80s vibe—no frills, just you versus an endless hail of space rocks.